DBT to be launched in four districts soon

The Odisha government has decided to implement the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programme in four districts – Puri, Cuttack, Sonepur and Balangir – very soon.

Originally scheduled to be launched on July 1, the implementation of the scheme in the four aforesaid districts has been delayed by nearly two and half months.

A high-level review meeting, presided over by the additional chief secretary UN Behera at the State Secretariat here on Thursday, decided to finalise the list of beneficiaries in these four districts. The lists would be handed over to the district Lead Bank managers who, in turn, would make arrangements for direct transfer of subsidies and pension to the enlisted beneficiaries.

Senior officials of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), nationalised banks and secretaries of the concerned departments were present at the meeting.

It may be noted that after the success of the first phase implementation of DBT programme in the country, the Centre had decided to implement the programme in 78 districts, including four in Odisha, in the second phase.

It was decided that the programme would be implemented in these districts from July 1 after 70-80 percent of Aadhar Cards are distributed among the beneficiaries. However, the four Odisha districts are yet to achieve the target.

DBT, launched by the Centre on January 1, 2013, aims to transfer subsidies directly to the people living below poverty line (BPL). The primary aim of the program is to bring in transparency and end pilferage of funds sponsored by the Centre. The scheme would, however, not be forced on all BPL families and would be applicable only to those willing.